Apparatus for enriching fuel mixture for internal combustion engines



Aug. 23, 1932. w. s. ENGLISH 1 1,873,746

APPARATUS FOR ENRICHING FUEL MIXTURE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES I:

Filed Dec. 9, 1929 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATESWILLIAM s. ENGLISH, or NnwARx,;nEw JERSEY.

Application filed December 9,192 Serial No. 412,700.

This invention relates in general to apparatus for enhancmg combustionof the fuel mixture 1n lnternal combustion engines, one

object of the invention being to provide apparatus of this characterwherein the fuel mixture is activated by subjecting it to the action ofradio-active rays, for example such as produced by an electric dischargeor by radioactive substances either by treating the air before it passesinto the carburetor or by treating the mixture of fuel and air betweenthe carburetor and the engine cylinders.

Other objects of the invention are to provide apparatus of the characterdescribed comprising means for producing an electric spark or a silentelectrical discharge from a high tension current or radio-active rays,in the path of the air or fuel mixture as it passes to the internalcombustion engine; to provide such apparatus which is simple andinexpensive in construction and can be applied to internal combustionengines or the like without material modification thereof,

and to obtain other advantages and results as will be brought out morefully by the following description. 1

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which corresponding and likeparts are designated throughout the several views by the same referencecharacters,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, partiallydiagrammatic, through apparatus embodying my invention, showing the sameapplied to the air inlet of a carburetor.

Figure 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the device shown in Figure 1,and

Figure 8 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view through theapparatus shown in Figure 1.

The invention comprises a silent electrical discharge apparatusincluding a tube 10 of .dielectric material for example, glass, on theexterior of which is an electrode 11 which may be metal foil or thelike. To this electrode is connected a binding post 12. Within the tubeis a second electrode 13 substantially concentric with the electrode 11and connected to a binding post 14 exteriorly of the ozone and the otherknown chemicals.

dielectric tube 10." The devicema'ybe se cured to the air, inlet A of acarburetor B by mounting the device in a spider or the like lfi whichmay be screw threaded into the carburetor as at 16,. The electrode 11is" shown as insulated from the spider by suit able insulation 17.Obviously, a singlewire' or grounded circuit of which the engine formsone side maybe utilized instead'of the two wire circuit described.

In operation, the binding posts or terminals 12 and 14 .are connected toa high tension electric current circuit of any suitableknownconstruction, for example, including a high voltage transformer oran induction coil 7, a source of electricity 8 and an inter 'rupter 9,whereby a silent discharge takes place, between the electrodes 13 and11, through the dielectric '10. This breaks down the air which passesthrough the tube 10 into the carburetor, and the chemicals thus producedpass into the carburetor and enrich the fuel mixture. These chemicalsmix with the fuel vapors produced in the carburetor and pass into theengine cylinders, and I have found that the combustion in the cylindersis greatly enhanced by such enriching of the fuel mixture, and carbondeposit in the cylinders is materially reduced or prevented. More powerfrom a given quantity of fuel is also obtained by the use of myinvention. Only a portion of the air passes between the electrodes 13and 11, the remainder of the air passing around the electrodes and notbeing subjected to the action of the electrical discharge. This isimportant, since it is extremely desirable that the electrodes beclosely related so that the air passing between them may becompletelybroken down into This results in a relatively small quantityof gas including a large amount of ozone and other desirable chemicalsto enhance combustion, which is mixed with the remainder of the airpassing through the air inlet of the carburetor. v

While I have shown and described a certain now preferred embodiment ofmy invention, it should be understood that this is primarily for thepurpose of illustrating the principles of my invention, and that manymodifications and changes may be made in the details of construction ofthe apparatus without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim is:

The combination with an internal combustion engine having an air intakefor fuel mixture, of a tubular electrode disposed substantially axiallyof and in alinement with said air intake and in spaced relation to thewalls thereof, another electrode disposed substantially coaxially withinsaid tubular electrode in spaced relation thereto, and means forproducing an electrical discharge between said electrodes, so that onlya portion of the air entering said inlet passes through said tubularelectrode and is subjected to said electrical discharge while theremainder of the air passes through said intake around said tubularelectrode and is not aifected by said electrical dischar e.

WILLIAM S. ENGLISH.

